


Aura

by BreakfastTea



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Bromance, Fluff, Gen, Good Friend Wilt Bozer (MacGyver TV 2016), Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25923802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakfastTea/pseuds/BreakfastTea
Summary: When Mac has a migraine, he's got Bozer to look out for him.
Comments: 29
Kudos: 59





	Aura

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to this piece of pure self-indulgence.
> 
> Apologies in advance for all typos. They are mine. All mine.

It started with a blast of nausea. Not totally unexpected on an intense run, but it felt different. A bad, familiar kind of different. Mac tried to deny what it meant. Unfortunately, the sudden hit of dizziness leaving him reeling left no room for doubt.

This was going to be a migraine. A bad one.

He crashed to a stop against a Stop sign. Thankfully he’d gone for his run early, so no one was around to see him. He clung to the sign while he waited for the vertigo to pass.

Reaching for the water bottle strapped against the small of his back, Mac silently cursed his bad luck. He’d been free of migraines for so long, he was hoping he was past them for good. Instead, this one struck on a day when he had no time for it. Drinking slowly, Mac stayed still until he’d caught his breath.

When the world stopped its slow, sickening spin, Mac started walking. Thankfully, he wasn’t that far from home and his medication. He didn’t dare try running. The nausea wasn’t letting up. At all.

Not good.

And, just to make it that much worse, the vision in his left eye flashed. He watched a flickering light twirling out, slowly forming a circle.

“Really?” He muttered to himself. “Like the nausea wasn’t enough already?”

The pain hadn’t started yet. Not properly anyway. It was a low-level rumble; a storm building on the horizon. Maybe if he got home fast enough, he’d be able to dose himself fast enough to knock it back and still get to work. He needed to review the basic survival training packages Matty wanted him to put together.

Right now, it felt like his head had other ideas.

By the time he got home, he knew his hopes were foolish. Because he’d had to stop, twice, to throw up. He staggered through his door, only to be assaulted by the smell of Bozer making himself breakfast.

“Hey, Mac, want some waffles before –”

Mac just about made it to the bathroom in time to lose the rest of his stomach contents.

That was when the migraine really kicked into high gear. Pulling his meds out of the cabinet, he downed the pill, drowning it with the last of the water from his bottle. He let out a soft groan. No way would he be getting to work today.

“Mac?” Bozer’s voice was soft and low on the other side of the door. “You okay?”

“S’just a migraine,” he called back, wincing at the sound of his own voice.

“Got it,” Bozer said. “Stay there. I’ll get everything ready.”

“I can manage,” Mac said, knowing full well he was lying. He’d walk into everything and anything now that the vision in his left eye had completely faded to grey fuzz.

Bozer, of course, saw through his bullshit. “Gimmie two minutes.”

Hurting too much to argue, Mac slumped against the wall and waited for Bozer to come back. He took slow, steady breaths, massaging his pounding head with his fingers. This was the result of too little sleep and too much stress. The endless and irritating search for his father, on top of back to back missions had conspired to knock him off his feet.

As promised, Bozer returned with another careful knock on the door. “Okay, bed’s ready. I’ve got the cooling pad on your pillow, water and an energy drink on your bedside table, the lights are off everywhere, I’ve closed all the blinds, and I put your solar fan in the kitchen to get rid of the smells. Can you get up or do you need help?”

Mac could get himself up. He eyed the shower, but it’d have to wait. He was in too much pain to be vertical. He got up and immediately misjudged the distance between himself and the bathroom door, whacking the handle with his hand. “Shit,” he muttered. He opened the door and stepped out.

Bozer was there. “Can you see?”

“Sorta,” Mac mumbled, keeping his voice low.

“Need me to help?”

Sighing, Mac held out an arm. At least this way he could keep both his eyes closed.

Bozer took it. He kept his voice soft and low, carefully guiding Mac to his room. Mac eased himself down, sliding the cooling pad over his eyes and forehead. He sighed with relief. It felt good. Really, really good.

“I’ll get your meds in case you need another dose,” Bozer said.

Mac’s phone beeped from his pocket, the sound cutting through his head. He yanked it free and held it out to Bozer. No way could he look at the screen right now.

“Got it,” Bozer said. “Muted and coming with me. And don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. Just Jack asking if you need coffee. I’ll update him.”

Mac didn’t even bother to respond. The nausea rose anew. He needed to concentrate on his breathing to keep it at bay. Hopefully, the meds would kick in soon. They tended to make him super drowsy along with dulling the pain.

He closed his eyes, silently grateful for Bozer. No way would Mac have managed to do all of this himself. Or, at least, he wouldn’t have been able to do it so fast. He would’ve had to psyched himself up for every moment, every choice that kept him from being flat on his back in his cool, dark bedroom. Thankfully, Bozer was well trained in the art of helping Mac when he had a migraine this bad. He was quick, quiet and efficient. No hovering or panicking. Bozer did what had to be done.

Sometimes, Mac wasn’t sure he deserved a friend as good as Bozer.

When Bozer crept back in, Mac already felt the first waves of the medication kicking in. The migraine dialled back a notch, the drowsiness pulling him in.

“Meds by your drinks,” Bozer said. “I’ll close the door. Your phone is gonna be on the kitchen counter, okay?”

“Okay,” Mac said. He found himself not really caring where his phone was, so long as it was silent and nowhere near his head.

“Need anything else?”

“No, thanks.”

“Get some rest, man. I’ll check in on you later.”

Mac heard Bozer slip back out. Minutes later, he was fast asleep.

* * *

Half an hour later, Bozer reached the office. He’d barely stepped out the parking lot before three worried people met him in the hallway. Jack, of course, was in the lead, with Matty and Riley close behind.

“He’s okay,” Bozer said before any of the others could draw enough breath to ask their questions. “It’s a migraine. He’s taken his meds and he’s asleep in a nice, dark room.”

Jack thumped one fist into his other palm. “I knew it. I knew he had all the symptoms. Kept looking at stuff with one eye closed. That’s always a sign he’s got a migraine incoming.”

Riley stared at him. “You sure you don’t have some kind of telepathic connection with Mac?”

“He must’ve known it was coming,” Jack said. “And you said he went out for a run?”

Bozer shrugged. “You know Mac. Always in denial until it’s too late.”

Jack frowned.

“I took care of him,” Bozer said. “Trust me. He’s resting and he’s gonna be fine. It was a bad one, but he’s doing everything he needs to do. He didn’t even argue.”

“Yeah, because he felt so bad,” Jack said. “Matty, I –”

“Will be staying right here,” she told him. “You can’t go running to him every time he’s sick. He’s done everything he needs to do, right, Bozer?”

“Right,” Bozer said.

Matty nodded. “And he’s sleeping?”

“Like a baby.” Mac’s migraine medication always knocked him out. “He should be good for the rest of the morning. And I left his meds by his bedside so he can take a second dose anytime now if the first wasn’t enough.”

“Okay,” Matty said. “Then Mac doesn’t need you hovering right now, Jack. He needs peace and quiet, which is exactly what he has.”

“But –”

“Until lunch when you can head over with Bozer and make sure Mac’s okay,” Matty said. “After which, you will return here to finish off the reports you owe me.”

Bozer tried not to laugh at Jack’s disappointed expression. Still, it was good to know there were other people just as determined to take care of Mac as he was. He gave Jack’s shoulder a reassuring pat and moved past. He had work to do in the lab after all.

After an entire morning spent tweaking his latest batch of prosthetics, Bozer sat back in his chair. He needed to head home, check on Mac and –

The lab’s door slammed open. Bozer didn’t even need to look over his shoulder. Only one person charged in like that. “I’m coming, Jack! At least let me take my lab coat off first.”

“I’m driving,” Jack said.

Slipping out of his lab coat and leaving it on the back of his chair, Bozer joined Jack. “Of course you are, man. You’re the one with zero respect for traffic laws. It’s the only way we’ll get there in time.”

“What?” Jack said, leaving the lab. “I respect traffic laws!”

Bozer snorted. “Sure you do.”

Jack placed an aggrieved hand over his heart. “I have nothing but respect for the laws of this land.”

“Fine,” Bozer said, rushing to keep up with Jack’s impatient pace. “I’ll set you a challenge. If you can get back to the house without breaking the speed limit once, I will buy you a cake of your choosing.”

“It’s on,” Jack said, cracking his knuckles. “And if I fail?”

“You buy the cake.”

“It’s a deal,” Jack said.

“You sure?” Bozer asked.

“It. Is. On.”

“Okay,” Bozer said, fighting to keep the grin off his face. “Let’s see how we go.”

Twenty-five minutes and several broken speed limits later, Jack had to face facts.

“I’ll take a salted caramel cheesecake,” Bozer said.

“How was I supposed to know traffic would be that bad?”

Bozer stared at him. “Dude. It’s LA.”

“You set me up.”

Bozer made sure he gave his best, most innocent expression. “I would never!”

“Yes, you would! Especially for that sweet, sweet cheesecake.”

Reaching the door, Bozer stopped. “Keep it down, okay? If Mac’s awake, he won’t be able to stand loud noise. And if he’s asleep, we don’t want to wake him.”

While this wasn’t Jack’s first experience of Mac’s migraines, Bozer also knew the big guy tended to get carried away looking out for him. Mac didn’t need his overwatch hovering right now. He needed quiet and stillness.

“Ready?” Bozer asked.

Jack nodded, falling totally silent. Bozer led them in. He stood in the doorway for a moment, ears straining to pick up the slightest sound. Nothing. Silence held steady.

He stepped aside so Jack could step in behind him. The blinds were all still down, and the solar fan continued to buzz in the kitchen. Bozer went over and shut that off. The scent of his breakfast was long gone.

Turning around, Bozer realized he’d lost track of Jack. Moving quickly and quietly, Bozer went to Mac’s room.

And found Jack in the doorway. Bozer looked past him and saw Mac still fast asleep, curled up on his side, his back to them. A single glance at the bedside table told Bozer Mac had woken up to take a second dose of meds, which probably explained why he was so soundly asleep right now. If he wasn’t, no way would Jack have been able to open the bedroom door without waking Mac. Instead, Mac slept on, oblivious to his audience.

Jack slipped into the room. He grabbed Mac’s comforter and carefully pulled it over him. Mac didn’t even stir.

Bozer stepped out the room. Jack followed. He pulled the door closed and they retreated to the kitchen.

“If he’s still out now, he’ll probably stay like that for the rest of the day,” Bozer said. “You know what those meds do when his migraine is that bad.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jack played with his wrist strap. “I don’t want him to wake up alone though.”

“Jack, trust me. I’ve dealt with his migraines for years. He’s not gonna wake up until we’re back here after work.”

“I don’t like the idea of him being alone when he’s sick,” Jack said. “It, uh, it goes against my instincts.” He cleared his throat. “He needs someone looking out for him.”

Bozer patted him on the arm. “It’s tough to leave him, I know.”

Jack laughed. It sounded forced. “Yeah, it is.”

“There’s nothing else we can do for him. He’s asleep and that’s the best treatment,” Bozer said. “Let’s get back to the office. We’ll finish up, come home, and you can do that mother-henning thing you love so much.”

“If he could be trusted to look after himself, I wouldn’t have to,” Jack muttered, pretending like his cheeks weren’t flushing bright red.

Bozer smiled. He led the way out the house. “You want to take care of him because he needs someone. He’s always needed someone. It’s that lost puppy look he gets.”

Back at the car, Jack stared at Bozer over the roof. “You’ve been there for him practically his whole life. You’ve been that someone for him. Hell, you’re the reason he’s tucked up safe and sound right now.”

“Yeah, I know. But I get why you wanna stay. You can look after him in ways I can’t. And I’m so grateful for that. Because without you, Mac wouldn’t still be here.” Bozer met Jack’s eye. “You’re the reason my boy came home more times than I can count. I’ll never find a way to say thank you enough.”

“Boze, man, without you, I never would’ve had the chance to even meet him. You helped him become the man he is today.”

Bozer blinked hard. Okay, he could not start crying right now. He sucked in a deep breath. “That means a lot. Thank you.”

“I’m serious,” Jack said. His eyes looked suspiciously damp too. “You’re part of who he is.”

That was it. Bozer pressed his hands to his eyes to hide his tears. Moments later, he felt himself pulled into a hug. Bozer hugged back. “Thanks, Jack. Did not expect to be crying today. I just can’t stand seeing him sick.”

“Anytime, man. Because I know exactly what you mean. Just you promise me you’ll never forget how important you are to him.”

One last squeeze and they separated. Jack scrubbed his eyes. Bozer dragged his sleeve over his face to wipe away any traces of tears. “Y’know, we better get going if we wanna get back in any kind of good time.”

Jack groaned. “Matty’s gonna kill us.”

* * *

One workday (and a minor tongue-lashing from Matty) later, Jack and Bozer were headed back to Mac’s place. Riley sent her best wishes. Matty sent orders for Mac to take tomorrow as a sick day too. It took nearly an hour to reach Mac in the unbelievably crappy traffic. By the time they got back into the house, Bozer was ready for dinner. He tried to think of the least fragrant food he had, just in case Mac’s sense of smell was still in overdrive.

“He awake?” Jack whispered.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Bozer whispered back.

They made it through a dinner of soup and sandwiches and half an episode of _Stranger Things_ before Mac appeared. His hair defied gravity, his clothes were rumpled, his cheek dented by where he’d been flat out against the pillow for the whole day, but he was awake and upright.

Bozer muted the TV. Jack beat him to Mac’s side. “Hey, man, you okay?”

“Better,” Mac said. He was still squinting, but he had some colour back in his cheeks. “Eyes still kinda blurry.”

Bozer turned the TV off altogether. “Aftershocks, huh?”

“Yeah, but nothing like the main event,” Mac said with a lopsided smile.

Jack guided him to the couch. “Hungry?”

Mac shrugged. “Vaguely.”

“There’s some saltines in the kitchen,” Bozer said. “Did you drink the Gatorade in your room?”

“No. I left it there.”

“I’ll get it.” Jack was gone.

Mac leaned back, letting out a sigh. He closed his eyes. “That was a bad one.”

“Yeah, I can tell. Have you been awake at all today?”

“Wait. What time is it?”

“A little after six.”

Mac stared at him. “Whoa.”

“So that’s a no?”

“It’s a definite no,” Mac said. He closed his eyes again. “Still feel pretty out of it.”

“You need more of your meds?” Bozer asked.

“No, not yet. If I’m still like this in a couple of hours, I’ll downgrade to Excedrin.”

Bozer rolled his eyes. Only Mac would say ‘downgrade’ about Excedrin.

“Thanks for this morning,” Mac said.

“Anytime,” Bozer said. “You’d do the same for me if I suffered from migraines. Well, you’d probably create some kind of machine that would deliver medication, provide cold compresses and distract me from the pain.”

“Mmm, maybe I should try that for myself,” Mac said through an immense yawn.

“Not tonight,” Bozer said.

Mac massaged his temples. “Definitely not tonight.”

Jack came back, Gatorade and saltines in hand. He passed them over. Mac took them. He made a good dent in both. He managed to stay up for a couple of hours, eyes closed but not sleeping.

Bozer could see the migraine trying to make a return. He glanced at Jack, who nodded. Yeah, he’d picked up on the increasing amount of time Mac spent rubbing his temples and the pain lining his face. Jack slipped out of the room and returned with Mac’s meds.

“You gonna be sick again?” Bozer asked.

“No,” Mac said. “It’s still an aftershock. Just a bad one.”

“Take a pill and let’s get you back to bed,” Jack said.

Mac did as he was told, a testament to how rough he still felt. “So much for downgrading to Excedrin.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” Bozer said.

“Yeah.” Mac stood and winced. “Shit,” he mumbled, sounding miserable. He wobbled. “Dizzy.”

Jack was there, ready to guide him. Or catch him, if his equilibrium was that bad. He put a guiding hand to Mac’s elbow. “Let’s go.”

Without arguing, Mac allowed himself to be taken back to bed. Bozer left Jack to do the arranging while he went to the kitchen and fetched a fresh ice pack out the freezer. They were always well-stocked after all. He wrapped it in a clean towel and took it to Mac’s room. Jack already had him tucked back up in bed. Bozer handed over the icepack. Mac placed it over his eyes.

“Night, guys,” he said, voice low.

“Night, Mac,” Bozer said. “Rest up. Call if you need us.”

They left him, retreating to the deck to keep the house quieter.

“Man, I hate seeing him like that,” Jack said. “It’s like that big brain of his just can’t hold everything in anymore.”

“He’ll be better soon,” Bozer said. He held up his fist. “He’s got us taking care of him.”

Jack bumped it back. “Damn right he does.”

Jack’s phone beeped in his pocket. Bozer watched him pull it out. “Matty?” he asked.

“Yeah. She’s said, and I quote ‘did I say one day? Better make it two.’”

Bozer glanced around the deck. “Is she… is she watching us right now?”

“If she is, it’s only because Riley hacked something to let her spy on us.”

Bozer grinned. If that was the truth, Mac had his whole family looking out for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Socially distant fistbump of solidarity to all my fellow migraine sufferers. 
> 
> As much as I live for mother hen Jack, I also adore best friend Bozer taking care of his boy. 
> 
> (Damn this show and its found family trope. I LIVE FOR IT!)
> 
> I used just about every migraine symptom in the book here. I'm pretty lucky - I've only ever had an aura once. I went completely blind in one eye while I was in charge of a classroom full of children ^^; Awkward! Mostly these days my vision just gets kinda blurry... Also, aftershocks are what I call the headaches I get after the worst of the migraine. Sometimes it'll escalate back into the full migraine, other times it mellows into a regular headache. There's no real rhyme or reason to it!
> 
> You can find me (and my migraine experiences!) over on my [Tumblr](https://breakfastteatime.tumblr.com/) :) Feel free to drop an Ask :)
> 
> See you all again soon :D


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